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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24209503">Born For This</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/disdainfreely/pseuds/disdainfreely'>disdainfreely</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Clone Citizenship Bills &amp; Crying, Gen, Padme bonding with clones, We deserved this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:02:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24209503</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/disdainfreely/pseuds/disdainfreely</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Though Padme is very rarely on the front lines, she spends more time with the men of the GAR than might be imagined.</p><p>More than enough time to learn that they're more than just designations.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Padmé Amidala &amp; CT-7567 | Rex, Padmé Amidala &amp; Clone Troopers, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>324</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Born For This</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Senator Amidala first meets the clone troopers who will make up the Grand Army of the Republic, she is not Senator Amidala, clad in her Senate finery; she is Padmé and she has just narrowly avoided certain death. Her back has been laid open by a Nexu and she’s just fallen out of a LAAT/i with a clone. She doesn’t really talk to him until everything is over, until Anakin and Obi-Wan are recovered and they’re all riding on a ship off of Geonosis.</p><p>	Padmé is sitting in the medbay by Anakin’s side. He’s unconscious, sedated for the pain of losing his hand, and Padmé can’t bear to leave him.</p><p>	“Excuse me, ma’am.”</p><p>	The voice is respectful, deferential, and young. Padmé looks up to see that the clone who fell out of the ship with her, who’s seemed determined to stay at her side, has removed his helmet. The clones that rescued them were clearly trained soldiers, but the face she’s looking at can’t be any older than her own or Anakin’s. If this clone is older than her twenty-four years, she’ll be shocked.</p><p>	“Yes?” It’s an effort to keep her voice level.</p><p>	“I’ve been told to inform you that one of the medics will be coming to tend to your injuries.”</p><p>	“There must be soldiers much more in need of care than me,” Padmé says, surprised. “The droid already gave me a spray for the pain.”</p><p>	“I only know what I’ve been told, ma’am,” the clone says. His face doesn’t say that he disagrees with her. Padmé tries to formulate an objection.</p><p>	“Is there a reason that you have remained with me, trooper? I must be perfectly safe in the medbay.”</p><p>	“Yes, ma’am. My commander said to stay in case you needed anything.”</p><p>	Padmé considers him. “What’s your name, trooper?”</p><p>	The clone blinks at her. “CT-4829, ma’am.”</p><p>	“That’s...your name?”</p><p>	“That’s my designation, ma’am.”</p><p>	Padmé wants to ask more about that, but she’s not sure how far is too far to press on the issue. “Well, CT-4829, you’re a soldier. You must know basic first aid.”</p><p>	“Yes, ma’am.” CT-4829 is starting to sound uneasy. Perhaps he sees where she’s going with this.</p><p>	“Well, we’re in a medbay. Let the droid finish treating Anakin and Obi-Wan and let your medics go treat soldiers who are actually in need of treatment. I could treat this myself if I could reach it. I’m sure you can manage.”</p><p>	“All due respect, ma’am...” He sounds very uncertain.</p><p>	“You said your commander told you to stay in case I need something, right? I need help cleaning up a minor injury,” Padmé presses. “Let the medics actually help the people who really need them right now. There must be wounded troops.”</p><p>	CT-4829 shifts and Padmé is again struck at how young his face looks, the way his brow furrows and he bites his lip.</p><p>	“Yes, ma’am. If that’s what you want. Let me alert my commander.” He puts his helmet back on for a moment, long enough that Padmé is starting to get concerned, before he removes it again. “He doesn’t like it, ma’am, but he’s agreed for the moment.”</p><p>	“Thank you,” Padmé says, and means it.</p><p>	“Did you really want me to treat your injuries, ma’am?”</p><p>	“If you could. I don’t think they need much, but I can’t reach them myself.” Padmé turns her back to the clone, who hisses sympathetically.</p><p>	“Those look like they sting,” he says, before she hears him close his mouth so fast his teeth audibly click.</p><p>	 “They did,” Padmé agrees. “The droid gave me some spray for the pain, but I think they could use a proper cleaning or some bacta spray.”</p><p>	“I’ll see what I can find,” the clone says, and goes rummaging.</p><p>	He does indeed carefully wipe at her injuries with a damp cloth, carefully enough that she’s pretty sure he’s trying to avoid touching her skin. He sprays them with bacta and by the time they’re finished, Masters Yoda and Windu have arrived to speak to her about what happened on Geonosis.</p><p>	“You are dismissed, trooper,” Windu says to CT-4829, who puts his helmet back on and salutes sharply.</p><p>	“Sir, yes, sir.”</p><p>	He leaves without another word.</p><p>	When they touch down on Coruscant, Padmé learns the final numbers from the Battle of Geonosis.</p><p>	Twelve thousand clones seriously wounded.</p><p>	Eight thousand clones walking wounded.</p><p>	Seventy-two thousand clones combat ready.</p><p>	Twenty thousand clones dead.</p><p>	Twenty thousand lives lost, and twelve thousand more hanging in the balance.</p><p>	The war begins in earnest, and Padmé has many things to do, but she makes a point of keeping track of one CT-4829.</p><p>	He’s assigned to the 104th battalion under General Plo Koon and Commander CC-3636 (name: Wolffe).</p><p>	He dies less than a year after the first and only time Padmé ever met him, killed when General Grievous destroys Plo Koon’s flagship and massacres the entire crew.</p><p>	There are four survivors, including Plo Koon.</p><p>	CT-4829 isn’t one of them.  </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
</div><p>	“CC-1010, reporting for duty.”</p><p>	The Commander appears in her Senatorial office one day. His red-painted armor is perfectly polished and he looks every inch the clone they show on the propaganda posters.</p><p>	“Ah, good to meet you, Commander--?” Padmé pauses politely for a name, hoping she isn’t going to have to call him CC-1010. She hasn’t spoken to many clones, but the numbers make her uncomfortable.</p><p>	“Fox, Senator. My name is Fox,” he says, after a long pause.</p><p>	“Commander Fox, then,” Padmé says. “How can I help you?”</p><p>	“I just wanted to introduce myself, Senator. I’ve been appointed Commander of the Coruscant Guard. We’ll be coordinating with the Senatorial Guard as well as providing protective details to Senators traveling off-world, should that be required.” Fox’s bearing is military perfect, almost unnervingly so. “My men will begin their patrols today, and if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call.”</p><p>	“I will keep that in mind, Commander,” Padmé promises. She does her best not to look uneasy. The Senatorial Guard makes sense, but to put a military police force on Coruscant, around the Senate even, seems extreme.</p><p>	“I will not impose further on your time, Senator.” Fox salutes sharply and departs, leaving Padmé with her thoughts.</p><p>	True to Fox’s word, Padmé starts seeing clones with red-painted armor in the halls that very day. She’s a little hesitant to stray too close to them at first. Logically, she knows they’re here to protect her and not to hurt her, but they make her uneasy.</p><p>	At least, until she runs into a pair of them down a side hallway with their helmets off. She’s taking a relatively little-used passage that will take her to Bail Organa’s office faster than the main routes, and there the clones are. They don’t see her at first. One of them is clearly swiping away angry tears. The other looks sympathetic. He’s heavily tattooed with what looks like thorny vines growing up from under his armor onto his cheeks. Padmé catches a brief snatch of their conversation.</p><p>	“Fucking kaminii Senator I should have known she’d--”</p><p>	“Ignore her. Fox would never--”</p><p>	“Pardon me,” Padmé says mildly. Both clones leap apart, looking at her with horror. The clone that was crying has red, swollen eyes. “Is everything alright?”</p><p>	“Yes, Senator,” the tattooed clone says quickly. “Apologies. We’ll resume our patrol.”</p><p>	“I’m sure the Senate will be fine for a couple minutes,” Padmé assures them. “May I ask what’s wrong?”</p><p>	The clones exchange looks. With their helmets off, the embarrassment and confusion on their faces is obvious.</p><p>	“It’s nothing, Senator. Really,” the crying clone insists.</p><p>	Padmé considers them. She’s certainly not going to force them to tell her what happened, but they seem so upset.</p><p>	“May I know your names, at least?”</p><p>	“My name is Sprout, Senator,” says the tattooed clone. “This is Det.”</p><p>	“It’s lovely to meet you both,” Padmé offers a smile, which seems to put them a little more at ease. “Now, if you’d prefer to return to your patrols and we all pretend this conversation never happened, that’s certainly an option, but if a Senator is mistreating you I would like to put a stop to it.”</p><p>	Det and Sprout exchange looks again. Padmé has to fight down a laugh. These soldiers are not subtle. They’re clearly too used to the helmets doing the work of hiding their expressions.</p><p>	“It was nothing, Senator. It was just a...misunderstanding with Senator Burtoni,” Det says slowly, like he’s not sure he should be saying it at all.</p><p>	“Senator Burtoni?” Padmé asks. She isn’t exceedingly familiar with the Kaminoan Senator, but what she has known of her, she hasn’t enjoyed. Of course the Kaminoan would have feelings have the clones.</p><p>	“She...ah...had some commentary for us about our equipment maintenance. And our stance,” Sprout explains. “It’s nothing, really. It’s fine.”</p><p>	“Is there anything I can do?” Padmé asks. They exchange looks again.</p><p>	“I don’t think so. Thank you, Senator,” Sprout says. “Thank you very much. We should return to our patrols.”</p><p>	“Take care of yourselves, and please, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to come find me,” Padmé says.</p><p>	“Yes, Senator,” Det salutes, and both clones replace their helmets. Padmé steps out of the way as the clones pass her, shoulders back and heads up properly. If she hadn’t seen them a moment earlier, she would have had no idea.</p><p>	Padmé continues on her way to Bail’s office, mind refocusing on what she needs to discuss with him.</p><p>	It’s a couple days later that Padmé is on her way to her office when she runs across a familiar pair. She can recognize them by the curling vines painted around Sprout’s wrists and the geometric work on Det’s chestplate.</p><p>	“Det, Sprout, hello,” she says, offering them a smile. She’s surprised when they both stop in their tracks.</p><p>	“Oh, Senator.” Sprout sounds surprised. “Er...hello.”</p><p>	“Did I get your names wrong?” Padmé asks, though she’s very certain she got them right. They seem so taken aback, however, that she must have done something wrong.</p><p>	“Oh, no, Senator. You got them right,” Det assures her. “Just didn’t expect you to remember us. Ma’am.” The title is almost an afterthought.</p><p>	Padmé smiles. “I wouldn’t be much of a Senator if I couldn’t remember people’s names. Things are going better for you today, I hope?”</p><p>	“Yes, Senator. Much better,” Sprout nods.</p><p>	“I’ll leave you to your work, then,” Padmé says. Both clones salute smartly and continue their patrol. Padmé heads back toward her office.</p><p>	They didn’t expect her to remember them. It’s almost shocking, really, the contrast between the clones and the politicians she deals with on a daily basis. They outright expected her to forget their names. There’s some undercurrent there that makes Padmé queasy, but maybe it’s just those two. Maybe their brothers are different. As she prepares to enter her office, she sees a pair of troopers outside her door. It’s hardly an unusual sight at this point--Padmé has received more than her share of threats and every time she does, she gets extra guards posted outside.</p><p>	She pauses. “Troopers?”</p><p>	“Yes, Senator?” Both heads turn toward her in unison, though it’s the clone closer to her who spoke.</p><p>	“I wanted to say hello, and thank you for your protection,” Padmé says. Both of them seem taken aback and Padmé’s heart sinks. Maybe it wasn’t just Sprout and Det who didn’t expect acknowledgment. “May I know your names?”</p><p>	“My name is Hound, ma’am,” says the clone who first spoke.</p><p>	“I’m Vis,” says the other.</p><p>	“It’s very good to meet both of you,” Padmé says, “and thank you again.”</p><p>	“Just doing our duty, Senator,” Vis says.</p><p>	They both salute her as she enters her office.</p><p>	From that moment on, Padmé makes it a point to greet the clones outside her office whenever she comes and goes. She initially makes some mistakes on identifying them, but it gets much easier. She can’t exactly use the excuse that they’re all identical, not when she’s so used to working with women that intentionally look so much like herself. The clones seem taken aback at first, enough that she worries briefly that she’s violating some unspoken expectation. Quickly, though, they warm up to her, and Padmé begins to hear the excitement in their voices when they greet her.</p><p>	She also begins to hear the dismissive and outright insulting tones many of her colleagues use when addressing the clones. Usually the clones are ignored, unless they’re apparently in the way. Then comes the derision. Padmé finds herself bristling on their behalf. These men are here to protect them--even worse, these men had no choice in the matter.</p><p>	Her frustration with it all comes to a head on one unfortunate day when Padmé is returning to her office after a session on the Senate floor. She gave her best effort trying to push through a relief bill, but it looks like the numbers are against her on this one. She’s angry and tired and wants to lay down but also get started on her next bill. She should eat something, but she’s too angry to be hungry. There are a thousand things to be done and she wants to do all of them and none of them.</p><p>	If she can get back to her office, she can at least sit in quiet for a moment before going back to work.</p><p>	Padmé is walking down the same hall where she first met Sprout and Det when she hears it. Senator Burtoni’s voice is unfortunately familiar, and it’s raised in a shrill scolding tone. Padmé rounds the corner and finds the unfortunate target: Commander Fox.</p><p>	The Commander is standing at perfect attention and not saying a word in response to what has clearly been a lengthy tirade. Padmé considers going back the way she came and letting this continue--it isn’t entirely her business. Really, it isn’t her business at all, but then she hears what Burtoni is actually scolding Fox about.</p><p>	“--the audacity of varying the designs of your armor--flouting regulations. This will be reported back to Ko Sai and your men will be evaluated for future service. If this is what your men consider performing their duty to the highest standard, there has clearly been some flaw in your creation that requires rectifying--”</p><p>	Padmé stops hearing what she’s saying at that point. The roaring in her ears has gotten too loud.</p><p>	“Pardon me,” Padmé says, stepping forward. Burtoni stops mid-rant and turns to face her. Fox tilts his helmeted head almost imperceptibly in her direction. “Senator Burtoni, I must object.”</p><p>	“Object? This is hardly your concern.” Burtoni waves a hand at Padmé dismissively. “I am merely talking to this clone about proper behavior for him and his ilk.”</p><p>	“Your treatment of our troops is certainly my concern.” Padmé stands her ground. “Especially the guards who are risking their lives to protect our capital.”</p><p>	Burtoni laughs and Fox visibly flinches. “Risking their lives is what they were created for, Senator. I know it may be difficult for an...idealist...like yourself to understand, but they require proper discipline and management for them to be effective.”</p><p>	“Berating them for basic self-expression is not discipline.” Padmé bristles and knows she has to watch her tone, lest she say something that she regret. “Much less threatening them, as if they haven’t been performing their duty beyond reproach.” Burtoni is opening her mouth to continue arguing, but Padmé holds up a hand to stop her. “Now, if you’ll please excuse us, I needed to speak to the Commander about a security concern. Commander, may I speak to you in my office?”</p><p>	“Of course, Senator. Immediately,” Fox says, turning sharply on his heel. He follows Padmé down the hall without saying another world. Padmé waits until they’ve reached her office and she’s nodded to Vis and Sixty-Three--a newer guardsman who doesn’t yet have a name or distinctive paint--before she quietly closes the door to the outside world and turns to speak to Fox. He seems ill at ease, which is new.</p><p>	“Would you like something to drink?” Padmé offers, beckoning C-3P0 over as he wanders into the main room of her office to greet her. “Some water, or tea?”</p><p>	Fox hesitates before he answers. “I...Some tea would be appreciated, Senator.”</p><p>	Padmé smiles and quietly sends C-3P0 for tea for both of them. “Take a seat, Commander.” She forgoes sitting at her desk for one of the chairs beside a smaller worktable. Fox still seems a little on edge, but Padmé can only just barely differentiate that from the rigid professionalism with which he’s holding himself. He removes his helmet and takes the other seat at the table.</p><p>	“Is there something I can help you with, Senator?” he asks. “You mentioned a security concern?”</p><p>	“Thank you, Commander. There is no security concern. I apologize for the untruth, but I didn’t want to leave you to Senator Burtoni’s tender mercies.” Padmé smooths her skirts. C-3P0 returns with the tea tray, carefully setting it down on the table.</p><p>	“Will you be requiring anything else, Mistress Padmé?”</p><p>	“Thank you, 3P0. I’ll call you if there’s anything else.” She watches C-3P0 go for a moment before she turns her attentions back to Fox. “Tea?”</p><p>	“Uh...thank you, ma’am.” Fox accepts the cup of tea she hands him.</p><p>	“There’s cream and sugar if you’d like as well.” She gently nudges the little pots toward him. Fox takes the sugar bowl like she’s just handed him a bomb.</p><p>	“I mean no disrespect, ma’am, but why did you ask me into your office?” He’s carefully adding sugar to his tea, eyes locked on the bright white grains as they fall like he’s never seen it before. Padmé has the sinking feeling that he probably hasn’t.</p><p>	“As I said, I didn’t want to leave you to Senator Burtoni, and I wanted to check in with you and see if there was anything I could do for you or your men.”</p><p>	Fox sips his tea cautiously and Padmé can’t help her smile at the look of combined confusion and apparent delight at the taste. He quickly schools his expression like he’s embarrassed, so Padmé does her best to do the same.</p><p>	“Permission to speak freely, Senator?” Fox asks after a moment.</p><p>	“Of course, Commander. I hoped you would.” Padmé sips her own tea.</p><p>	Fox sets his own cup down very deliberately. “I appreciate your help, but this wasn’t the first time Senator Burtoni took me aside, and it won’t be last. I’m Commander of the Guard, so I am directly accountable to all Senators, but especially the Senator from Kamino. There is nothing you can do to change that.”</p><p>	He looks so tired as he speaks. Padmé feels for him.</p><p>	“I know that I can’t change your duties,” she says, offering him the plate of cookies that came on the tea tray, “but is there anything I can do to make them any easier?”</p><p>	“Thank you, ma’am.” He carefully takes a cookie. “You’re doing enough, ma’am. The boys appreciate that you acknowledge them and that you can tell us apart. That’s more than most.”</p><p>	“That’s the bare minimum, Commander. You’re people.” Padmé tries not to get herself riled up. Fox isn’t anyone who deserves to be yelled at. He watches her cautiously, like he’s actually expecting her to yell, and that more than anything else is enough to make Padmé go quiet.</p><p>	Fox shrugs quietly. “I appreciate it, ma’am, I do, but unfortunately you’re only one Senator.”</p><p>	Padmé is about to object, when Fox’s wrist comm chirps and he looks down.</p><p>	“Ah, apologies, ma’am. That’s one of the patrols on the lower levels. They need me. If you’d please excuse me?”</p><p>	“Of course,” Padmé says immediately. She stands to see Fox out. “I’m sorry you didn’t get a chance to finish your tea.”</p><p>	“Perhaps another time, ma’am.” Fox smiles a little and replaces his helmet.</p><p>	“Any time you like, Commander.” Padmé gives him a smile and escorts him out. It doesn’t entirely escape her notice that the cookie he took from the tray was never eaten, and that when she parts ways with Fox to go speak to Senator Mon Mothma, she can hear soft crunching noises from inside Sixty-Three’s helmet.</p><p>	The next day, she has several crates of cookies and tea sent directly to the Coruscant Guard barracks.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
</div><p>	“Ani, I really don’t need extra protection,” Padmé insists, trying to keep her voice low. “I have my own guards from Naboo in addition to the Coruscant Guard and the Senate Guard. I’ll be just fine.”</p><p>	“Please, just let them stay with you. They won’t get in the way. Just until we’ve finished investigating the threats,” Anakin says, looking at her with sad eyes. Padmé has never been able to say no to those eyes, and apparently now is no exception.</p><p>	“Fine. Fine, for now,” she concedes. “But I don’t like it, Ani. I really don’t need extra protection. I’m not even planning on leaving my apartment today.”</p><p>	“Then you won’t even notice they’re here,” Anakin assures her with a grin. He steps back, ignoring her frown. “Fives, Tup, I’m leaving you two in charge of the Senator. Don’t let anything happen to her.”</p><p>	“We won’t, General.” The ARC trooper, who Padmé knows to be Fives from Anakin’s stories, nods. The regular trooper salutes sharply.</p><p>	“Sir, yes, sir.”</p><p>	Anakin and Fives both seem amused at the trooper, whose armor is much newer-looking than Fives’.</p><p>	“I’ll be back as soon as I have any news,” Anakin promises her.</p><p>	“Be careful.”</p><p>	“I always am.” He grins at her and she tries not to blush like a schoolgirl as he leaves. It takes her a moment longer than it should to pull herself together, and she turns back to face her two new guards.</p><p>	“Well, I was planning on having some tea with a friend. Would you like to join us?”</p><p>	“Uhhhh, ma’am,” says Fives, clearly awkward, “I think we’re supposed to stay on guard.”</p><p>	“I promise, I’m perfectly safe. And you’ll be right here with me,” Padmé says soothingly. “I promise I won’t tell Ana--General Skywalker, if that’s what you’re worried about.”</p><p>	She’s just heard Fives’ grumbled “that’s exactly what I’m worried about” when Sabé arrives. Both clones whirl to face her, guns raised, but Sabé is Sabé, and is thus unconcerned.</p><p>	“Oh, am I interrupting something?” Sabé asks as she sets the tea set down on the low table in front of the couch.</p><p>	“Not at all. General Skywalker thought I needed additional protection,” Padmé explains. “We have a couple more guests for tea.”</p><p>	“I’ll get some more cups,” Sabé says without hesitation. She goes to fetch them, and Padmé turns back to Fives and Tup. Enough time spent chatting with the Coruscant Guard has given Padmé a pretty good grasp of basic clone body language, at least enough to tell that both Fives and Tup are gaping at her.</p><p>	“Do you both like tea? Or would you prefer something else like caf?” Padmé asks.</p><p>	“Tea is fine, ma’am,” Fives says. Padmé looks to Tup, who seems alarmed to be looked at directly.</p><p>	“Tea is good,” he agrees, if a little timidly.</p><p>	Sabé returns with extra tea cups and another platter of food, an assortment of little sandwiches, tea cakes and cookies.</p><p>	“Here, take a seat. Make yourselves comfortable,” Padmé says. She claims a spot on the sofa and Sabé joins her. Her smile is subtle, but Padmé can see it’s there.</p><p>	Tup very unsubtly looks to Fives, who carefully takes a seat on the other sofa facing Padmé and Sabé.  Tup sits beside him. He’s cradling his blaster like a nervous child might hold a beloved toy, and Padmé has to try very hard not to think about how apt that comparison probably is.</p><p>	“Tea?” Sabé asks, carefully picking up the teapot.</p><p>	Both clones hesitate and don’t answer, so Sabé moves straight to pouring them tea anyway before pouring some for Padmé and herself. She knows how Padmé takes every tea that she drinks, and adds the requisite cream and sugar before pushing both toward the clones. There’s another awkward moment of silence,  a tilt of Tup’s helmet toward Fives, like he’s considering his options, and both clones take their helmets off almost in unison.</p><p>	Fives looks older than Tup, mostly from the lines around his eyes. Padmé recognizes the tattoo on his forehead from Anakin’s stories and the rare photo. Tup’s teardrop tattoo under his eye is interesting, but Padmé refrains from asking its meaning. She’s seen enough of the Guard show up with new tattoos and armor designs to have figured out how deeply personal many of the designs are for the clones. More excitingly, however, is Tup’s hair, pulled up into a topknot. It looks like it was done in a hurry, long strands falling free to curl around his face now that it’s free of his helmet. He brushes his hair back out of his face.</p><p>	“I didn’t know you had long hair,” Padmé says with a smile. “Ani--General Skywalker never mentioned it.” She picks up her tea cup and takes a sip.</p><p>	Tup blushes high in his cheeks. “Oh, yes. I’m sorry, ma’am, I normally keep it out of my face but General Skywalker needed us quickly.”</p><p>	“It’s not a problem,” Padmé hurries to assure him. “I just haven’t met any of your brothers with long hair.”</p><p>	“It’s a nightmare to keep up in the bucket--I mean, helmet,” Fives corrects himself hastily, and sips his tea. He’s holding the teacup like it might shatter if he touches it too hard.</p><p>	“I can only imagine,” Sabé says, and because she can practically read Padmé’s mind, she gently nudges the plates of food toward the clones like it’s not obvious that both of them are eyeing them. Tup takes a sandwich with a murmur of thanks.</p><p>	Padmé should let the matter drop, but she’s never been entirely able to just let something go once the idea has struck her, so she smiles at Tup.</p><p>	“I’m sure you’ve already thought of it, but have you considered braiding your hair back? It might help keep it a little better contained.”</p><p>	Tup looks at her like she’s just pulled a blaster on him. “Oh...I had thought about it, I just...don’t really know how to do it myself.”</p><p>	Sabé has caught on to Padmé’s train of thought. “Would you like us to show you? We certainly know how to deal with long hair that gets in the way.”</p><p>	Tup’s eyes light up and he looks like he very much wants to say yes, but his eyes skitter over to Fives.</p><p>	“Well, Senator, we are supposed to be guarding you,” Fives says reluctantly.</p><p>	“I have guards,” Padmé insists. “Many of them, in fact. I told General Skywalker that I didn’t need anymore.” She softens. “Certainly don’t let us pressure you into something you don’t want.”</p><p>	“No, that’s not...” Tup looks a little wistful. “I would really like that. But I have a duty, and...”</p><p>	“Don’t worry. I will take care of General Skywalker if he takes issue with it,” Padmé assures him, and watches Tup’s whole face light up. Fives seems to soften looking at the younger trooper, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips, and Padmé has a feeling she made the right decision.</p><p>	“I’ll go get the supplies,” Sabé says, setting her teacup down. She’s smiling now too, clearly amused by the enthusiasm.</p><p>	“Here, while she’s getting those, we can get settled,” Padmé says. She grabs a throw pillow and sets it on the floor in front of her and Sabé as a cushion. “You can sit here--you’re taller than us, so we need the height advantage.” Tup laughs and it’s hard not to think of him as painfully young.</p><p>	“Yes, ma’am.” He shifts over to take his spot on the cushion, leaving his helmet on the couch.</p><p>	“I’ll watch from over here. Get to watch you get all fancy,” Fives teases. Tup laughs and says something in Mando’a that must be rude, judging from the way he immediately freezes and looks up at Padmé.</p><p>	“I don’t speak Mando’a,” she says honestly.</p><p>	“Oh, um...that’s probably good.” Tup blushes. “Just...uh...giving Fives some grief.”</p><p>	“I assumed,” Padmé smiles at Tup until he relaxes a little. “Let’s see what we have to work with here. Go ahead and let your hair down.”</p><p>	Sabé returns with a veritable arsenal of hair products and tools just as Tup removes the tie holding his hair up. If Padmé wasn’t so intimately aware of how tightly hair could be tied up, she’d be amazed at the dark curls that cascade loose as soon as they’re released.</p><p>	“Oh, your hair is beautiful,” Sabé says, handing Padmé the brush they usually use for detangling. “We can definitely do something with this.”</p><p>	“Really?” Tup half-turns, clearly curious, but stills at Padmé’s hand on his shoulder.</p><p>	“If you turn around, we can’t do anything,” Padmé laughs. “Let’s get started by brushing it out.”</p><p>	“Yes, ma’am,” Tup obediently turns to face Fives, who makes a face at him.</p><p>	“Don’t think you’re getting out of this that easily,” Sabé says. She beckons to Fives. “You should learn how to help him with this.” Fives looks like they pulled a blaster on him.</p><p>	“I...uh...don’t know how to do anything with hair.” He runs an absent hand over his military-cut hair.</p><p>	“I’m sure you can learn,” Padmé says. She begins the process of detangling Tup’s hair, carefully working through it from the ends up. When Sabé beckons again, Fives does move over to join them, sitting beside Sabé and looking over at Padmé’s hands as they work the brush through Tup’s hair. “The first step is easy anyway. You just want to make sure there aren’t any tangles or snarls.”</p><p>	As Padmé works, she can feel Tup relaxing under her hands. His breathing evens and slows into something that feels almost close to sleep and she has to hide another smile. It’s nice to know he’s enjoying himself, and she feels no guilt about brushing his hair for a little longer than she otherwise might need to. When she finally sets the brush aside, Tup rouses a little bit.</p><p>	“That brush is really nice,” he says softly. “I’ve just got the standard-issue comb.”  </p><p>	“Then you’ll have to take this brush with you when you go,” Padmé says. Tup squeaks something that might be a protest, and Padmé shakes her head. “No, you’ll take it with you. I’ve got so many brushes and you can’t entrust hair this lovely to a standard-issue military comb.”</p><p>	“Thank you, ma’am,” Tup says. He sounds a little choked up, and Padmé doesn’t ask.</p><p>	“Now, Sabé, what do you think?”</p><p>	“I was thinking those braids we use to keep your hair under control when you’re wearing one of your headpieces,” Sabé says, rummaging through the supplies she brought. “I’ve got the pins. Fives, do you know how to braid?”</p><p>	“Uh...I don’t know how to braid hair. The only thing I’ve ever braided is explosive wire.”</p><p>	“A braid is a braid,” Sabé says practically. “It’s not too hard.”</p><p>	Padmé begins expertly braiding Tup’s hair back, starting near the front of his head and braiding back first one side, then the other, until he has a crown of braids with the ends pulled up and tucked into each other. She finishes off the last tie and sits back</p><p>	“There we go. That’s one idea,” she says. Tup’s hands come up to touch his hair immediately.</p><p>	“It feels very secure,” he says, fingers tracing the lines of braids.</p><p>	“Here’s a mirror.” Sabé offers Tup a large hand-held mirror that he takes like it might shatter if he breathes on it wrong.</p><p>	“Wow.” It’s more of a breath than a statement as he turns his head to admire both sides.</p><p>	“It looks great,” Fives says. He’s smiling and he’s gone a little soft-eyed. Padmé smiles down at Tup.</p><p>	“Do you like it?”</p><p>	“I love it.” He looks up at her with wide eyes. “I don’t know if I could do it myself, but I love it.”</p><p>	“Well, we can teach you. It’s harder to do it on yourself, but I’m sure you’re a quick study. Plus we’ll teach Fives so he can help you,” Padmé says. She smooths her hands over the braids. “I’m glad you like it.”</p><p>	“It’s so pretty.” Tup is still looking at himself in the mirror. “Could you really teach me how to do this?”</p><p>	“Of course. Let me take it down and we’ll start again.” Padmé begins the process of gently removing the braids. “It’s not the fastest style, so in an emergency the bun you had is still going to be best, but if you have the time it’ll hold a little better.”</p><p>	“Thank you,” Tup looks up at Padmé as she undoes the last of the braids.</p><p>	“Of course! Besides,” Padmé leans in to whisper conspiratorially, “this is much more fun than my previous afternoon plans.”</p><p>	Tup grins up at her and Fives laughs.</p><p>	The rest of the afternoon is a pleasant haze of Padmé and Sabé teaching Tup and Fives how to do hair. Luckily, clones are certainly quick studies, and once they’ve mastered the relatively simple braids they started with, Padmé suggests they try something fancier. The way Tup lights up tells her that she made the right suggestion. It seems like he’s never had anyone do his hair like this, though Fives doesn’t exactly seem unfamiliar with smoothing a brush through his brother’s thick waves.</p><p>	By the time Anakin returns in the evening, dusty and with some dirt smeared on his cheek, Padmé has managed to get Tup’s hair into a beautifully elaborate chignon with some ribbons and a sparkling hairpiece to hold it in.</p><p>	“General Skywalker,” Fives says, immediately standing as the first one to notice him enter.</p><p>	Tup, who’s been clearly enjoying all the pampering, looks up with an expression Padmé can only interpret as guilty.</p><p>	“Sir!” He hurriedly climbs to his feet as well.</p><p>	“The threat’s been eliminated,” Anakin says, looking both troopers up and down. “Good to see you two were on guard.”</p><p>	“They were excellent,” Padmé says. She stands as well, going over to greet Anakin properly. “They were a credit to the 501st. I’ve never been in better hands.”</p><p>	Anakin gives Tup and Fives skeptical looks. “I’m glad you thought so. At any rate, we tracked the threat back to its source, and they shouldn’t bother you again.”</p><p>	“Thank you so much for your help. I suppose you’ll be leaving Coruscant again?” It’s an unfortunate fact of their relationship. Padmé never expects him to stay long, no matter what she wishes.</p><p>	“Soon, Senator. For now, I’ll take Fives and Tup back to the barracks. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.” Anakin’s eyes on her make Padmé melt inside. She manages to keep her smile professional.</p><p>	“Of course. Thank you very much, General Skywalker.” She turns back to the troopers, who have hurriedly gathered their helmets. Fives has put his back on, but Tup is reaching back to undo the chignon before he does. “Oh, Tup, please, don’t undo your hair on my account.”</p><p>	“The hairpiece is yours, Senator,” Tup says.</p><p>	“Keep it. Really, I mean it,” she has to add on when Tup opens his mouth to object. “I have a horrifying amount of them, and it looks lovely where it is.”</p><p>	Tup looks to Anakin, who shrugs. He looks back to Padmé.</p><p>	“I...I really couldn’t.”</p><p>	“Don’t feel pressured to keep it if you don’t want it,” Padmé says, “but it’s beautiful in your hair and maybe you can wear it on formal occasions.”</p><p>	“Don’t forget these as well.” Sabé walks over, holding the brush Tup had so admired as well as a horde of extra hair ties. “You’ll need them.”</p><p>	“Oh...I...” Tup hands off his helmet and his blaster to Fives so he has his hands free to take the supplies from Sabé. “Thank you, Senator. So much.”</p><p>	“I’ll have some more things sent to you soon,” Padmé promises. “Conditioner, shampoo, things that might make your hair a little easier to manage.”</p><p>	Tup looks like he might cry. “Thank you, Senator. Truly.”</p><p>	“Thank you for protecting me,” Padmé replies. “You and Fives both.”</p><p>	“Just doing our duty, Senator,” Fives says. She can hear his grin even through the helmet.</p><p>	“Alright. Ready to go?” Anakin asks.</p><p>	“Sir, yes, sir,” Tup and Fives say in unison.</p><p>	Anakin turns back to Padmé and gives her that soft look that makes her heart melt. “I’ll be back later to do a last security sweep. Just in case.”</p><p>	“Oh, that really isn’t necessary,” Padmé tries to insist, fighting back a blush.</p><p>	“I insist.” Anakin grins at her and her legs go to jelly. “I’ll see you tonight, Senator.”</p><p>	“If you insist, General Skywalker. I appreciate your help.” She’s trying to fight back her blush and she can feel Sabé’s amused stare.</p><p>	“Goodbye, Senator,” Tup says as Anakin leads them out. “Thank you again.”</p><p>	“Of course,” Padmé says. Tup’s smile is brighter than the gleam of the jeweled piece in his hair, and honestly? It’s a hundred times more valuable. Once they’re gone, she turns back to Sabé. “Let’s make sure to get those supplies sent to the 501st before they get deployed.”</p><p>	“Right away, Senator. I wouldn’t want you to have to worry about them when General Skywalker returns.” Sabé glides away with a laugh, and Padmé covers her face with her hands to hide both her blush and her smile.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
</div><p>	“How long will you be gone?” Padmé asks, resting careful hands on Anakin’s chest. “All the way out to the Outer Rim...will you be able to call?”</p><p>	“I don’t know,” Anakin says. His brow is furrowed and Padmé reaches up to smooth her thumb over it until it softens. They’re in the safety and tranquility of her apartment for what will probably be the last time before he has to leave. She can’t let it be marred by frowning.</p><p>	“We’ve been apart before. It’ll be alright,” she settles for saying. It’s the truth. Their marriage has been spent more apart than together. One more stint isn’t going to be what does them in. “I just worry about your safety out there.”</p><p>	“I’m just as worried about you here. There are constant threats against you.” Anakin says. He wraps his arms around her. “I’m not here to protect you.”</p><p>	“Don’t worry, Ani, I’m very well-guarded. I have Typho, and my handmaidens, and the Coruscant Guard, and the Senate Guard,” Padmé assures him. “I’ll be perfectly safe.” She doesn’t pull away from his hold. If he’s going to be gone for months, she wants to enjoy every last bit of his touch that she can. Anakin drops a kiss to her hair, for once hanging in a relatively simple array of braids.</p><p>	“I just need to make sure,” Anakin says.</p><p>	“Cookie will take care of me,” Padmé promises. Sixty-three, now rechristened ‘Cookie’, has been one of Padmé’s most devoted guards. She’s fairly certain either Fox has semi-permanently assigned him to her or he’s been swapping shifts. “He would never let anything happen to me.”</p><p>	Anakin gives her a skeptical look, but Padmé holds firm. He sighs.</p><p>	“Just...be careful. That’s all I ask.”</p><p>	“I’m always careful, Ani, and you’re the last person to talk to me about being careful.” She gently taps his chest.</p><p>	A knock on the door sends them jumping apart like startled teenagers. Padmé relaxes when she hears the voice calling through.</p><p>	“General Skywalker, sir, General Kenobi needed to talk to you about deployment. He said it wouldn’t take long.”</p><p>	It’s Captain Rex. He’s known their secret for some time now, has in fact been actively involved in hiding it. Padmé can trust him. Anakin sighs.</p><p>	“Let me call Obi-Wan. I’ll be right back, I promise.” He kisses her forehead and answers the door. Rex looks infinitely awkward in that way that Padmé is used to seeing from the guardsmen when they don’t realize their helmets are off. Anakin brushes past him, and Padmé and Rex are left alone. Rex glances at her face and then hurriedly returns his gaze to just over her shoulder, standing in perfect parade rest.</p><p>	“It’s good to see you, Rex,” she says, and is rewarded with him relaxing slightly. His eyes return to her face. “Do you know how long you’ll be on the Outer Rim? Ani won’t tell me. I think he’s trying not to scare me.”</p><p>	“...We don’t know,” Rex says honestly. “It could be months.”</p><p>	“Do you know where you’re going?”</p><p>	“Only our first step, but it’s classified.” His tone is apologetic, awkward.</p><p>	Padmé offers him a smile that’s only slightly tinged with sadness, and he smiles back in the same fashion. It used to be that Padmé would justify asking their destination by saying she needed to know where to send Tup’s haircare products. Rex would joke that he could make do, and that Tup used all their shampoo rations anyway. They would both laugh.</p><p>	Of course, that was before Tup was lost. Apparently to some virus, though Padmé feels there must be something more to that story. A virus wouldn’t leave Rex looking so...haunted.</p><p>	Padmé sometimes wonders if Tup ever wore that hairpiece she gave him, but now she’ll likely never know.</p><p>	“I suppose I’ll find out when I hear about your victories in the Outer Rim.”</p><p>	Rex laughs. “Let’s hope so.”</p><p>	Rex seems more relaxed. Every time they meet, he’s like this. Tense at first, but as soon as she’s informal, he loosens up. Padmé looks over to where Anakin is whispering into his commlink.</p><p>	“Please take care of him for me.”</p><p>	“I will, ma’am. It’s my duty,” he says. He speaks with a painful sincerity. All the clones do whenever the question of their responsibilities come up. It’s something she’s found in every clone she’s spoken to, and it never gets easier to hear.</p><p>	“And take care of yourself, Captain.” She offers him a smile. “The Republic can hardly afford to lose so fine an officer, or so good a man.”</p><p>	He blushes at that, and Padmé laughs.</p><p>	“Thank you, ma’am.”</p><p>	“I’ve told you before, you can call me Padmé.”</p><p>	“Yes, ma’am.” The little smirk she gets tells her that he’s teasing her now.</p><p>	“Hopefully by the time you get back, I’ll have passed the bill for clone citizenship. I think we might have a good chance with this latest attempt.” Something flickers in his eyes that she can’t read, but he smiles, even if it is a little sad.</p><p>	“I hope so.”</p><p>	Anakin returns before she can reply. “Well, I talked to Obi-Wan. Rex, Cody should be transmitting you the plans.”</p><p>	Rex looks down at his comm chimes. “Just got them now, sir. I’ll go get the men ready to go.”</p><p>	“Thanks, Rex. I’ll see you onboard,” Anakin says. Rex nods sharply to Anakin. His eyes return to Padmé for a moment.</p><p>	“Goodbye, Senator. My apologies, I have to go make sure the men are prepared.”</p><p>	“No apology needed, Rex,” Padmé assures him. He turns to go. “Please, be careful out there.”</p><p>	He glances at her over his shoulder, and something in his eyes is sad. “I’ll do my best.”</p><p>	He leaves.</p><p>	Padmé isn’t quite sure what to make of that statement, what to do with the sadness she saw, but Anakin is holding her again and they have so little time left. She’ll have months to think about what Rex said, but she has only one more night with her husband.</p><p>	“I’m going to miss you,” Anakin says, holding Padmé close.</p><p>	“I’ll miss you too, Ani, and I promise, I’ll be waiting when you get back. I’ll always be waiting for you.” Padmé hugs him tightly, and listens to the strong beat of his heart, and in that moment she can see their future. She can see Anakin returning from the war, she can see the war ending, the clones gaining citizenship. She can see the children they’ll raise together, the home they’ll share.</p><p>	She can wait for Anakin this one last time.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“For three years now, our soldiers have been suffering and dying for our protection. For three years now, these brave men have fought our war, the Republic’s war, and for what? They live under none of the protections of the Republic. They reap none of the benefits, and yet, these men are bearing the brunt of the costs. Please, Senators, I implore you. These men are men like any other. They feel as we do. They love as we do. They have dreams and goals as varied as any of our own. The circumstances of their birth have no bearing on their worth as people, for that is what they are. People. Human beings. How can we let these men fight and die for our Republic and not allow them to be treated as any other citizen?”</p>
</blockquote><div class="center">
  <p>Amidala, Padmé. “On Clone Rights.” Speech. Coruscant, 32 BBY. New Republic Archive.</p>
</div>Archivist’s Note: This speech was recovered from a datapad found in the personal effects of CT-7567 (Captain Rex) after his death. It is the only known remaining copy of Senator Padmé Amidala’s speech for clone rights, all other records of which were destroyed by order of Emperor Palpatine.
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The New Republic Archives use Chicago style citations. No I am not accepting criticism on this topic.</p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25207861">Cupcakes for the Commander</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncognitoHeroine/pseuds/IncognitoHeroine">IncognitoHeroine</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
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